T. Rex [IMPORT] [LIMITED EDITION] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

Marc Bolan & T Rex

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 2004)
• Original Release Date: October 18, 2004
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import, Limited Edition, Original recording remastered
• Label: Universal UK
• ASIN: B0002LU97Q
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #139,238 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The classic T. Rex album from 1970, digitally remastered and augmented with nine bonus tracks - 'Ride A White Swan', 'Summertime Blues', 'Poem' (work in progress), 'The Visit' (take 4), 'Diamond Meadows' (take 6), 'One Inch Rock' (work in progress), 'Seagull Woman' (work in progress), 'The Wizard' (work in progress), & 'The Children Of Rarn' (work in progress). Universal. 2004.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bolan on the Verge of Electric, November 17, 2004

By	Frank C. Tortorici (Garwood, NJ United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This newly issued remaster of the first T Rex album is available in the UK only--and that's a shame. The album captures Bolan moving from the acoustic Tyrannosaurus Rex sound to the T Rex pop-rock sound that would make him famous. Very good to excellent tunes of both varieties plus bonus of the great breakthrough single "Ride a White Swan" backed with "Summertime Blues." Also alternate takes. Buy this one--not the remaster issued in the '90s without the bonus tracks. Great sound.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blend of acoustic and electric styles remains Bolan's best, March 13, 2005

By	Michael Topper (Pacific Palisades, California United States) - See all my reviews

In a rather ecstatic review for the earlier unremastered Castle
CD of this first T.Rex album from 1970, I declared it Bolan's absolute best, a transitional work that combined prime but far more accessible examples of the earlier acoustic Tyrannosaurus Rex sound ("The Visit", "The Time Of Love Is Now", "Root Of Star") with thrilling embryonic versions of the T.Rex electric pop sound ("Jewel", "Childe", "Beltane Walk", "Is It Love?", "One Inch Rock"), with not a single weak track in sight and capturing Bolan's magical personality at its purest. The last album with the two-man lineup of Marc Bolan and Mickey Finn, it was also the first album to feature strings, drums and Flo & Eddie on backing vocals (albeit on only one song, the gorgeous "Seagull Woman").

My opinion remains unchanged and has only grown with time; what was always frustrating was the thin sound of all previous CD releases, which did not do justice to such an important work. This latest deluxe reissue finally gives the album its due, with a loud and clear remaster that highlights every explosive guitar solo, epic scream and production trick. The lyrics and artwork
are restored, although unfortunately the bonus tracks are the weakest of all the remasters: while the seminal non-LP single "Ride A White Swan"/"Summertime Blues" is included, the outtakes sound almost identical to the released versions despite being labeled "works in progress". Outside of a slight remix, I found nary a difference to the album versions. What's more, the fantastic instrumental outtake "Deep Summer" is not included, one of the few T.Rex cuts to remain in the hands of the bootleggers. Despite this, I would recommend everyone get their hands on a copy of this reissue, if only for the quality of the album itself, combined with the vastly improved sound.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Dawn of T. Rex, March 3, 2006

By	James Choma - See all my reviews

This magical album for Marc Bolan and his newly christened band T. Rex is a wonderful timepiece from the 1970's. It is the perfect mix of Bolan's fanciful imagination, his lyrical poetry, and producer Tony Visconti's string arrangements. It would be the album that launched the T. Rex craze in Britain for the next three years.
The "T. Rex" album marked the transition from Bolan's gentle Tolkien inspired Tyrannosaurus Rex acoustic days to the Electric Warrior, the king of fashion conscious, mascara heavy Glam Rock. Many early fans were quite disappointed with the change, as their homegrown favorite had now become the darling of the teenage set. The single "Ride a White Swan" from this time (that should be included on this CD) paved the way for the T. Rex hit machine, and was a staple in Bolan's live set until his all-too-early death in 1977. It was a huge hit in the UK and has been covered numerous times since Bolan's death.

The album opens with the short intro "The Children Of Rarn," Bolan's own piece of mythology that bridges the divide between Tyrannosaurus Rex to T. Rex beautifully. Interestingly enough, Marc had created a whole 20 minute piece around this track ("The Children of Rarn Suite") that didn't see the light of day until Tony Visconti released a version back in 1978. It could have been a wonderful concept piece. The songs that follow on the album are simply beautiful works of poetry set to music. Highlights are "Jewel," "The Visit," "Summer Deep," and "Diamond Meadows" (most recently heard in the movie "Velvet Goldmine").

While each T. Rex album is near and dear to my heart, this probably isn't the best place to start if you're interested in Marc Bolan and his band. The album of choice for a starting point would be "Electric Warrior," followed by "The Slider," then this album. Once you're under Bolan's spell, you're hooked!